The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-04
NEWS FROM JAPAN.
Interesting Letter From Far
Off Yokohama.
BUDDHIST FUNERAL RITUAL.
Revival OF the Ancient Drama or
Dance of the "No"-Japanese
Court Costumes.

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heross the creek from the foreign set
lement of Yokohama, died, and his
sodv was oremaled. His ashes were
blaced in an urn, and then IN pine
box in the shape-of miniature temple,
nd the priests from all the diocese were
ummoned to take part in the funeral
eryices. Nothing goes quickly in
apan, and the BONES were as slow as
emany tradesmen. This long interval
between the death and final rights,
ebbed the affair of any exhibitions OF
oignant grief, and everything was
siyen up 10 the exact forms and elabor-
te ceremonies of the Buddhist funeral
ftual. The son of the high priest sue
eeded 20 his fathers Office by inherit
nee, and he prepared himself for the
eryices by days of fasting and prayer,
nd at the ceremonies Bnelt below the
ffciating priest, and wore the plain
rhite robes of a mourner. He had no
art in the service, and was like q
lathe until he rose, and taking the
lortuarv tablet from the altar, walked
ehind the casket from the temple to
ne graveyard.
The priests came from near and from
n. some arriving by train on the day
Dd at the hour OF the funeral, and,
:, urrving to the temple with servants
Arrving bags full of ceremonial robes
their neeis, slipped their broCades on
the ante-room and Joined the solemn
Dmpany sitting in rows like so many
nages. The hundred and odd priests
n at either side of the altar with the
sket before it, and for general effect
bthing was ever more dazzling than
at row of smooth-faced, shaver
eaded priests in superb brocade gar
+ Tents that eIowed with all the richest
4!ors and glistened with gold thread.
he services consisted of chanting by
the priests in chorus. and IN re
onse to the iutoned readings OF the
On priest. The big temple drum was
.ruck at stages of the chanting, and
e priests played on an instrument
at resem bled the bundle OF reeds or
pes that the god Pan played IN Greek
Mythology. The noise was harsh,
riIl wall combining the worst OF bag
= pe and flute melody. They chanted
BIN open books, and standing,
Id plates of pierced brasswork
bm which they sifted the leaves
the icho tree at regular intervals,
ese leaves berg prayer symbals In
Buddhist service. While the chant
and pipe playing wassgoing on, the
ends of the deceased came forward
e by one, and, kneellng at the edge
the mats, prOstreted themselves IN
aver and sprinkled incense in the
.ge bronze burner. Later, the IN
1se-brrner and the box OF incense
IS passed before the priests, each one
1ttering a prayer and dropping
1ch of fragrant powder on the Goals.
There were some priests IN purple
NE gowns bustling about the temple,
during the service, apparently ushers
aid de camps. They kept the
)wds back to the foot Of the temple
IDS, picked u2 and dropped in any
ay coins that fell short of the money
< and looked anxiously out at the
full of thick, gray clouds that
.eatened heavy rain after the mist
4 drizzle then floating in the air.
s nee Devawongsee, of Siam, who is
rood Buddhist:at home, came to the
ople with his secretary, and closely
tched the proceedings. AS he would
trouble to remove his royal shoes,
remained outside of the temple
ps. where he was Joined by the crowd
i actually elbowed aside by a French
,trv cook, who made some sneerlng
"a nark to him about you Japanese,
ince DeyaWongsee easily passes for a
)anese by his stature, color, hair and
lures, but his English is clear and
ant and without accent. He made |
retort courteous to the bumptious
by saying: II beg pardon, but
not Japanese" By that time the
Icession of priests was ready to start
m the temple, and one of the lead
in the line glared ferceiy at the
81 Known prince and said: "Hatoff!
toff!" in the most peremptory man.
Some amiAble foreigner, seeing
t the inoognito royalty was likely to
roughly handled, called to him:
AXE off your hat" and the prince
y comprehended what the angry
EST was muttering about.
s the procession Of priests wound |
through the crowded courtyard, |
sed under the heavy gsbled gate
and down the long terrace steps |
the street, 1t was a brilliant and |
cling spectacle: Their rich
- caQoQ IOD6S buOuo Will ROlu |
sad, and many of them were
so and more years old, heir
ms handed down from one
st to another, and now priceless and
ossible to dupleatS. Fhe rich, soft
colors, toned by age, are as differ
from the gsrish co!ors of the mod
dye-pots as possible, and except in
pie services and at the great the
3 one seldom sees these old brocades
Z. An attendant carried large red
)rella over the head of each priest,
as the line of rainbow color and
5enIng bullion threads came down
long terrace steps, 1t was fine pic
of old japan. As the procession
out the long street crowded SOL
with Japanese, everything was
lowed up and hidden bat the red
Drellas, and these flRmingo signals
: e marked the line of the funeral
4. At tho graveyard there was more
lting, incense food and flowers were
at the tomb, and the ashes of the
priest were finally at rest.
revival of the ancient drama or
.e of the No has been the fashion in
10 this fall, the impetus being given
ne of the great mobiles preparing
ormance of the No when the
,eror visited his yashiki q few